President Biden? Not such a long shot at all

Martin Van Buren was not the only sitting vice president elected president during the 19th century ("President Biden? History says no," Feb. 2).

Thomas Jefferson achieved the same distinction when, as vice president at the start of the century, he defeated and succeeded the incumbent president John Adams — even though that election was ultimately decided by the U.S. House of Representatives due to a tied electoral vote between Jefferson and Aaron Burr.

Prior to that, Adams had been elected president in 1796 immediately following his two terms as George Washington's vice president.